Musée de Cluny

The Musée de Cluny, officially the Musée national du Moyen Âge, is one of the most important cultural institutions in Paris and is devoted to the art and history of the Middle Ages. The museum is located in the Latin Quarter in the 5th arrondissement, nestled between Boulevard Saint-Michel, Boulevard Saint-Germain, and Rue de Cluny. Today's entrance is on the south side of the grounds on Rue du Sommerard. The museum's architecture is a fascinating testament to the layering of history, as it dates from two entirely different eras. At the heart of the complex lie the remains of the Roman baths of Lutetia, built around A.D. 200 and later largely destroyed. The cold-water bath, the frigidarium, in particular remained largely intact and was incorporated into the later building. It is considered one of the largest of its kind in the province of Gaul.

Besides the ancient foundations, the Hôtel de Cluny shapes the look of the museum. This palace was built on the site in the 15th century, after the abbot of Cluny had acquired the Roman ruins in order to have lodgings for visits to the royal court. The chapel built into the building combines elements of the late Gothic and Renaissance styles and was a favorite of the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. In 1843 the property became state-owned, and in 1844 the museum opened its doors. The collection goes back to Alexandre Du Sommerard, who had assembled an extensive collection of medieval works of art in the Hôtel de Cluny, which was taken over by the French state after his death. In 2000, a medieval garden of about 5,000 square meters was also created, offering visitors a quiet retreat.

After a comprehensive renovation and modernization that lasted until 2022, the museum now presents itself with a new, accessible entrance and a chronologically arranged exhibition. The exhibits tell the story of the Middle Ages in chronological order. Among the highlights of the collection is the Basel Antependium, a golden altar frontal from the early 11th century, originally intended for a monastery, which reached Paris via the art trade. Of great importance as well are the Gothic sculptures, including the 21 heads of the Kings of Judah from the Gallery of Kings of Notre-Dame Cathedral, rediscovered in 1977, as well as the 13th-century statue of Adam, which is praised for its unusual realism. You can also see stained glass from the 12th and 13th centuries that was once installed in famous churches such as the Sainte-Chapelle.

The museum's best-known attraction, however, is the six-part tapestry series "The Lady and the Unicorn." These millefleurs tapestries were created at the end of the 15th century in the southern Netherlands. Five of the tapestries symbolize the five senses, while the sixth bears the inscription "À mon seul désir" ("My Sole Desire"). The depictions combine Christian symbolism, in which the unicorn stands for Christ, with themes of courtly love and the allegory of the senses. The tapestries came to the museum by way of Château de Boussac and were taken up in literature by, among others, the writer George Sand and the poet Rainer Maria Rilke.

In the former frigidarium, you can also see fragments of the so-called Pilier des nautes. These stones come from a column erected under Emperor Tiberius in honor of the god Jupiter, depicting ancient Seine boatmen. As the oldest at least partially preserved Parisian sculpture, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the city's Roman past. The Musée de Cluny thus uniquely brings together Roman antiquity, medieval architecture, and a diverse art collection that takes visitors on a journey through the centuries.